Rajon Rondo, and the NBA's new TV deal

This might come as a bit of a shock to you, but at the conclusion of this coming season Rajon Rondo will become an unrestricted free agent.

While a ridiculous amount of thought has been put into Rondo's upcoming free agency, one topic hasn't really been discussed;

Is it possible that Rajon Rondo could sign a one year deal?

Don't laugh. In light of the league's new TV deal it is entirely possible. And courtesy of the Herald's Steve Bulpett, it's something that is at the very least on Rajon Rondo's mind.

As Rajon Rondo went through a pregame workout last night (wearing a brace to protect his surgically repaired left hand), he was interested to hear the league’s new media deal was official. We joked that this would mean he’d have to sign just a one-year contract when he becomes a free agent next summer, and he smiled and shook his head. Later he said he said, “I haven’t even talked to (his agent Bill) Duffy yet.”

Waiting a year would allow Rajon Rondo to make a whole lot more. As Bulpett points out, early cap estimates under the new TV deal (effective 2016) would allow for a max-player with 10 years service to make 30 million dollars a season, 6 million more than it allows currently.

If he were to sign a one year deal (since it's a one year deal, Rajon Rondo wouldn't be able to make the full max of 20 million a season, but "only" a 104.5% increase that'd translate to somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 mil), Rajon Rondo could stand to make as much as 20 million dollars more in the next five seasons.

For those wondering if Rajon Rondo is a max free agent, if he wasn't before, he certainly will be under this new TV deal. Tom Ziller of SBNation estimates that the new TV deal could increase the league's salary cap to 94 million dollars. It currently stands at 63.

And while it's not as often discussed, there's another thing that needs to be considered; the salary floor. Under the new CBA, each team must commit a minimum amount in player salary. It currently sits at 56.7; If my math's right (and I did beat Mathbusters in the 2nd grade, so it probably is), that'd increase to somewhere around 85 million in two years.

So not only will big market spenders like New York, Houston and Dallas be racing to add players to put them over the top (and without salary constraints, Rondo makes a lot of sense for all three), small-market teams like Milwaukee will NEED to add players to meet there minimum salary commitments

That's all long form for; TEAMS BE SPENDIN'

Any player who is lucky enough to have their contract expire in two seasons is going to get paid. Which, by the way, makes it almost a certainty that Jeff Green will opt in to his player option next year (something I admittedly didn't consider previously).

Provided Rondo doesn't suffer a career altering injury in the next twenty-four months; he could be one of those guys. Will be interesting to see if he's willing to gamble on himself.